The Stuttgart Fire Department has used $64,000 in bond money to purchase new Holmatro rescue equipment, also known as the Jaws of Life.

Chief Billy Burns said there is one electric-powered and two gas-powered Jaws of Life, with the electric-powered device to come in handy if the department ever responds to a mill rescue.

The equipment would be used in truck No. 1, Engine No. 2 and Engine No. 3 while the old set would be kept in reserve. Southern Paramedic Service previously donated the department's old set.

Jaws of Life use has picked up. Burns said use would only continue to rise as traffic increases during the summer months. SFD presently averages one use per month.

According to SFD's Kevin Raper, the closest Jaws of Life set outside of Stuttgart is with the DeWitt and Hazen fire departments.

The equipment purchase is just the latest use of the bond money approved last year. Burns said the department previously purchased two new pumper trucks with 1,000-gallon water tanks and 1,250 gallon-per-minute Waterous pumps. The bond money was also used to purchase a new chassis for their existing brush fire unit, a fire safety education house and renovations to the north and south fire stations.

Overall, the purchases will aid the SFD's 22-member staff in their response to both fire and medical calls. Burns said they average about 100 calls per month. About 50-60 of the calls are medical.

SFD responds to about three to five structure fires per month while it conducts about 36 fire inspections for area businesses and organizations.